The Press., 1887-03-31
A Horrible tragedy i'm Tolland.
WIFE MURDER IND sU1o1DE.

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 WIFE MURDER ESD sUIoTDE.
 Holland county was shocked last Sum- day by the news that ElishaT. Snow of Tol- land had murdered his wife and hung him. self. Snow was man of about 55 years, and his wife some ten years younger. They lived about two miles south of pOl- land Street near the Coventry line. They had three children, the eldest girl of IA years. Snow, who has always been weak minded man, of late has shown signs of mental ailment, but was not considered1 dangerous. There have been reports that | he was penurious with his family, though in fairly comfortable circumstances, also that at times he was cruel He sent his ] children away for the day last Sunday morning. Later, neighbor called at the house but saw nothing out of the way. He left little after H. About l o'clock Eugene Harris, brother-in-la law, called but could not get in. He saw through the window the woman lying on the foor, and went for assistance. The woman was found lying on her faces Her skull had been broken by blow from behind with soapstone, and afterward her head nearly chopped from her body, there having ap- parently been two strokes made Snow was found hanging in the woodshed. He had driven 8 nail and attached & stout cord, but his great weight, 200 pounds, had so settled the body that both feet were sup ported. Mrs. Snow was also very heavy woman. One theory is that the woman incurred his anger by interfering with his attempt at suicide. However this may be the indications are that he approached her, unseen, from behind, and the sending of the children is also an evidence of premed- itation. He had discharged his hired man on Friday, telling him that he did not ex- pect to live but a few days longer.
 An inquest was held by Coroner Phelps of Rockville. ~ Afl
 Our Holland correspondent sends the following additional particulars Elisha T. Snow was born on the place where the double tragedy occurred, ,55 years ago, and has always lived there, working hard up to within the last two years. During these two years he has been in poor health, which affected his mind, and although in comfortable circumstances was afraid of coming on the town. He has been grow j ing worse all the time, and it is stated that in addition to this fear of becoming a pauper he was jealous of his wife, though there was no ground therefor. That he has been meditating something of this kind is evident from remarks that he has made to neighbors lately. At what time or just
 
 known. About 2 o'clock Mir. Eugene Harris, who married sister of Mrs. Snow, came to the house, (which is on the Goose Lane road, ''so called, 1" leading to Coven- try and near the Coventry ine,) and upon entering the room beheld frightful scene, Mrs. Snow lying on her face in a pool of } blood, apparently dead. He hastened to the nearest neighborIs, Mir. Cyrus Hall, and dispatched him for Dr. Clark, who is also medical examiner. Further examina- tion revealed MT. Snow hanging in the wood shed. From the position of things in the room and the body it is probable that she was stirring cream in pan placed in chair and seated in another one.
 Whether she was attacked while sitting is unknown, but she evidently jumped up suddenly, upsetting the chair, and rushed for the door to escape into the road, when he hurled soap stone at her, which struck her on the left temple, and fracturing the skull and tearing the scalp fearfnlly. She fell forward on her face, her left hand part. . ly under it, and right hand little above her head. Then with an ax he hacked the scalp, (but not cutting the bone) number s of times then nearly severed her head , from the body, only the skin and throat , being left. Then throwing the ax into g
 bedroom he went to the woodshed and
 hung himself by rope fastsned to a large f spike fastened to beam overhead. When { found his feet were touching the floor. | Dr. Clark at once notified Coroner Phelps who promptly responded, and went through with the. formalities, and Dr. Clark sewed
 up the wounds, 50 they would not show
 very much when Undertaken Preston wal t through with the remains The deceased 5 couple never saw each other until they were married-courting by letter. They were both very large, she weighing some t 300 lbs. and he about 200 lbs. > .z